Pandemic makes digital nursing a hot topic
By Gemma Raw
Senior figures in the nursing profession have called for data and technology to become central to nursing roles, building on the experience of developing digitally-driven care pathways and services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rapid increase in the pace of digital transformation in the NHS. More and more of those working in hospital and community-based nursing jobs are embracing new digital ways of working, and nursing leaders across the UK are keen for the momentum in digital transformation to be maintained.
Key digital nursing roles
Highlighting the rise in nurse-led virtual wards and consultations as evidence of significant progress, England's first national Chief Nursing Information Officer (CNIO), Dr Natasha Phillips, has told Nursing Times that many chief nurses have reached out to her to ask for support in recruiting their own CNIOs.
Meanwhile, Fran Beadle, National Clinical Informatics Lead for nursing at Digital Health and Care Wales, has cited the creation of nursing informatics lead roles as being instrumental to the success of the Welsh Nursing Care Record (WNCR), a digital documentation system featuring standardised language for nurses. Originally introduced as a trial in 2018, the nursing informatics roles were made permanent in 2020, having been identified as a 'key enabler for the digital transformation of health and care'.
All-Ireland digital framework
An all-Ireland framework has been developed in response to the increasing use of digital technologies to deliver patient care in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, acknowledging the vital role that nurses and midwives will play in that digital transformation.
"The framework and its intended uses will support and enable nurses and midwives to grow and strengthen the care they provide, and to be in a strong position to advocate on behalf of people who use our services to ensure optimum access to, and use of, digital technology to improve health and wellbeing, " Dr Geraldine Shaw, Nursing and Midwifery Services Director at Ireland's Health Service Executive, commented to Nursing Times.
Education and support
The Digital Readiness Education Programme from Health Education England (HEE) is aimed at creating an uplift of digital skills, knowledge, understanding and awareness across the health and social care workforce. The programme is delivered through six workstreams focusing on key areas of transformation, including supporting senior leaders and building a future digital workforce. HEE has also established the NHS Digital Academy, a virtual organisation which aims to develop a new generation of excellent digital leaders who can drive the information and technology transformation of the NHS.
The Digital Nurse Network is also helping to drive digital transformation for nursing staff. Launched in 2019 by nurses Ann Gregory and Helen Crowther with the support of NHSX's Digital Primary Care team, it supports community nurses working in general practice and other care settings to use and promote digital services. Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, membership of the Network has more than doubled to over 1,000 nurses.
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